The invention relates to cutting glass tubing.
In the production of glass tubing it is necessary to cut the tubing into required lengths, the cuts being made transverse to the length of the tubing. It has been normal practice to cut glass tubing by forming a score line at the required cutting position and then subjecting the tubing to a heated flame so as to crack the tube at the required position. To achieve satisfactory automatic operation, it is desirable to use a cutting technique which is both fast in operation and forms a reliable cut with considerable accuracy. Various proposals have previously been made for improving this cutting technique including the application of external chilling to the cutting region or wetting the score line. Furthermore, in order to achieve satisfactory cracking around the entire periphery is has normally been necessary to rotate the tube in order to apply the flame to all parts of the cutting line.
It is an object of the present invention to provide improved apparatus and methods for cutting glass tubing which enables reliable and accurate cuts to be formed at increased speeds.